‘You feeling close to God?’ man asked before Olive Garden shooting, official says
A South Carolina man is going to prison after recently getting convicted of multiple crimes connected to a shooting at an Olive Garden restaurant in Columbia, according to the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
On April 3, following a weeklong trial in a Lexington County courtroom, 34-year-old Orangeburg resident Brandon Rashad Benjamin was found guilty of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, the solicitor’s office said in a news release.
Judge Shawn Graham sentenced Benjamin to 25 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison on the attempted murder conviction, according to the release. Benjamin was given a 5-year prison sentence on the weapons charge, which will run concurrently to the other punishment, the solicitor’s office said.
Under South Carolina law, attempted murder is a violent, most serious, and “no parole” offense, the solicitor’s office said.
Shooting in the Olive Garden parking lot
The conviction stems from a 2022 shooting at the Olive Garden on Harbison Boulevard. That’s in a popular shopping dining and shopping district, between Exit 103 on Interstate 26 and St. Andrews Road, which is a part of Columbia that’s in Lexington County.
Benjamin and the victim had prior issues over a woman, the solicitor’s office said.
On December 23, 2022, the victim was leaving the Olive Garden when Benjamin showed up and threatened him with a gun, according to the release. During the confrontation, the solicitor’s office said that Benjamin asked the victim: “Are you feeling close to God?”
After appearing to have left the area, Benjamin returned to the crowded parking lot, exited his vehicle, and fired multiple times at the victim, hitting him once in the arm, according to the release.
The victim was severely bleeding, and an off-duty Lexington County firefighter and an off-duty Newberry County Sheriff’s Office investigator provided him with aid until Lexington County EMS arrived, the solicitor’s office said. The victim was taken to Prisma Health Richland where he underwent two surgeries, according to the release.
No other injuries were reported.
The following day, Benjamin was pulled over in Richland County for having an expired tag, the solicitor’s office said. Although initially cooperative with law enforcement, Benjamin eventually led officers from multiple agencies on a 19-mile chase through Richland and Lexington counties, according to the release.
Benjamin’s vehicle finally came to a stop in Cayce, the solicitor’s office said.
Officers found a 9mm PSA dagger in the passenger area of Benjamin’s vehicle, according to the release. Forensic testing confirmed it was the weapon used at the Olive Garden, the solicitor’s office said.
Benjamin was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center, and bond was set at $250,000, The State previously reported.
The Columbia Police Department and Richland County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant solicitors Kelly Oppenheimer and Caroline Strom, as well as Deputy Solicitor Angela Martin prosecuted the case for the Solicitor’s Office. Columbia attorney Jack Swerling was listed as Benjamin’s lawyer, according to Lexington County court records.
While awaiting trial, Benjamin was arrested in June 2025, when he was charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and discharging firearms into a dwelling, Lexington County court records show. Those charges are pending.
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